[Video] Loch Lomond at Silver Moon

I had grand hopes of writing a bit about Portland-based chamber-folk-pop band Loch Lomond‘s show at Silver Moon on July 20 to accompany the three videos below.

But I put it off for a day, and then days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into … well, it’s basically been forever since the show. So here are a few quick thoughts, followed by the moving pictures:

–Loch Lomond played a short but sweet show, cramming a bunch of their best tunes into a set that clocked in under an hour. We got “Blue Lead Fences” and “Elephants & Little Girls” and “Ghost of an Earthworm” and “Night Bats.” At least I think they played “Night Bats.” It’s been a while, you know, and I have forgotten things.

–They also rocked harder than I expected, stirring up a relatively stormy clatter in between the gently swooping highs and higher highs of the band’s catalog.

–It was a nice atmosphere, with some obvious friends and family in attendance to watch frontman and Bend native Ritchie Young perform. He gave a shout-out to his mom. Cute.

–Young’s backing band has changed considerably in recent months. Gone, for example, is Dave Depper, another Bendite who has moved on to the Fruit Bats. (More on that in the coming weeks, I hope.)

–Overall, this version of Loch Lomond sounded really tight and terrific, and more balanced than when I saw an almost too delicate performance at the Doug Fir in Portland a few years ago. By contrast, the Silver Moon set was punchy and hooky and never lacking for momentum.